Obama’s Abortion Ban Repeal Gets Lowest Rating

Both CNSNews and Operation Rescue report that the majority of Americans disapprove of Obama’s repeal of the federal funding abortion ban for overseas groups.

Obama’s Decision on Overseas Abortion Funding Rated Least Popular

Tuesday, February 03, 2009
By Melanie Hunter-Omar

(CNSNews.com) – A new poll shows a majority of Americans disapprove of President Barack Obama’s decision to repeal a ban on federal funding for groups that promote or provide abortions overseas.

A Gallup poll released on Monday measured how Americans feel about seven specific actions that Obama has taken so far in his presidency. The action that scored the lowest was his decision to repeal the Mexico City Policy, with only 35 percent approval. Approval was even lower among Republicans – eight percent.

The action that scored second lowest – 44 percent – was Obama’s order to close Guantanamo Bay prison. Only 11 percent of Republicans agreed with closing Gitmo. But both decisions were even the least popular among independents and Democrats, although a majority of Democrats still approve of both, Gallup found.

The Mexico City Policy was put into place by President Ronald Reagan then lifted by President Bill Clinton and re-instituted by President George W. Bush.

A pro-life group said the poll shows that Obama is “out of step” with most Americans when it comes to abortion.

“This week’s Gallup poll revealed the truth that President Obama’s decision to roll back the commonsense Mexico City Policy is out of step with the attitudes of the majority of American taxpayers,” Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.

“Of the top seven Presidential decisions polled by Gallup, President Obama’s choice to send taxpayer dollars to overseas abortion providers was by far the least popular. Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of taxpayer-funded subsidies for abortion abroad, and those sentiments extend to funding abortion here at home,” she said.

“I strongly urge President Obama to abandon the radical abortion bailout agenda. Americans want him to endorse policies that actually reduce abortion, not promote it at the taxpayer’s expense,” Dannenfelser added.

Scoring highest on the list were his decision to name special envoys for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan and his decision to tighten ethics rules for members of his administration. Those actions won 76 percent of public approval.

At 74 percent each, Obama’s decision to limit interrogation techniques on prisoners and his decision to institute higher fuel efficiency standards were his second most popular decisions. And 66 percent of Americans approved of his decision to make it easier for workers to sue for pay discrimination, also known as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

The poll was conducted Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 2009 among a sample of 1,027 national adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Washington, DC – A Gallup Poll released yesterday shows that nearly two-thirds of the American people disapprove of Obama’s radical abortion policies.

The poll showed that only 35% approved of Obama’s releasing American tax money to groups that promote abortion overseas. This was the lowest approval rating of the seven policies that were included in the poll. (View the poll)

Obama released the funding late on his first Friday afternoon in office, a tactic that is meant to hide the information and minimize media coverage.

“This proves that Obama’s radical support of unrestricted abortion is an extremist position that is out of touch with the American people. He knows it, too, or he would not try to sneak these policies under the radar,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “Obama cannot cover up the fact that he is fanatical about his support for abortion and will surely go down in history as the Abortion President.”

Obama promised abortion groups like Planned Parenthood that one of the first things he would do as president was sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which, if passed, would usurp the rights of states to regulate abortion and would strike down restrictions meant to protect women and their babies that are already in place.

“We can expect Obama to attempt to force more of his radical abortion agenda on the unwilling American people, but he underestimates our nation’s capacity for compassion and sense of justice for weak and vulnerable,” said Newman. “Citizens will never accept FOCA and Obama can be assured that there will be a very contentious showdown over every abortion-promoting policy he tries to slip by the American people.”

Operation Rescue, in conjunction with other groups, has produced a web site that carefully documents Obama’s radical abortion policies. It can be accessed at the following Internet addresses: